Willows of Fate (Lands of the Sun and Stone series #1)
by Suzanna J LintonGenre: Urban FantasyAge category: AdultRelease Date: October 3, 2014

Blurb:
Know thyself...

All her life, Desdemona has seen things others haven't. Dragons, knights, dwarves, kids with three eyes. Heeding her mother's advice, she keeps silent about this and struggles through life, pretending everything is normal.

At her mother's death, Desdemona returns to a home haunted with memories but she is determined to not be shaken from what little normalcy she has. However, when her brother is murdered and she uncovers a family secret, Desdemona realizes that there is more to what she sees. Perhaps a whole other world, one that's willing to kill to have her as its own.

About the Author:
Suzanna Linton became a writer the first day she picked up a pencil, scribbling happily in magazines and books. Growing up in (very) rural South Carolina, she was steeped in legends and ghost stories and was surrounded by her mother's ever-growing book collection. She graduated from Francis Marion University with a degree in Professional Writing and bounced from job to job until she landed in a library, where she met her now-husband. She lives with him in South Carolina with their two dogs and cat.

Interview:

Where are you from?

That is a little
complicated. The short answer would be
“rural South Carolina”. The longer
answer is this: We moved around a bit as I grew up, mostly staying in the very
rural portions of Orangeburg and Berkeley Counties, South Carolina. By rural, I mean we went to town once a week
because it was considered a “day trip”.
However, I spent my high school years in the Holly Hill-Vance area. Holly Hill, actually, makes the basis for the
mythical Hammondville, where part of WILLOWS OF FATE takes place.

Tell us your latest news?

I got a cat and my dogs didn’t
eat it! I’m serious. We rescued a kitten, fearing we would have to
turn him over to the local shelter, but our dogs actually adopted him. Our dogs are Husky/Boxer mixes, two breeds
that have a strong prey instinct, so we were really shocked when the male,
Benny, started mothering the kitten.
After a week, we were able to safely leave them alone together.

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing when I was very
young, around age eight. I’ve always had
a very fertile imagination and it needed to come out in some way. Writing was the most natural channel.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think I’ve always considered
myself a writer. To me, being a writer
isn’t a job title. It’s who I am. If I couldn’t write, I couldn’t really live.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I needed to tell a story about a
girl who wanted to find her own way in the world. A girl faced with impossible odds because, at
the time, I felt that I was faced with the impossible. This girl struggled with restrictions placed
on her just as I felt I struggled with the restrictions of poverty. In that way, what would become CLARA was
born.

Do you have a specific writing style?

People keep telling me I have a
“different” writing style. A fellow
member of a writing group once said I say things very matter-of-factly but that
it doesn’t take away from the story. I
really don’t know what anyone means by that.
I just tell the story how I tell stories to myself. As part of keeping my prose clear, I try to
look at it as my readers look at it, but I’ve never been able to say, “Oh, this is my style!”

How did you come up with the title?

The action of the story revolves
around a barrier known as the Willows and one of the themes that Desdemona
struggles with is that of fate. Do we
really have any free will or are we driven to do things because there is no
other way? The title WILLOWS OF FATE
just seemed a natural choice.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

When I sit down to write, I don’t
always do so with a moral or message in mind.
My subconscious drives the story and the message is woven into it. A lot of times, I don’t see it until much
later. With WILLOWS, I realized the
message during a moment when Desdemona is discussing fate and identity with one
of the characters. At that moment, I
realized I wanted readers to grasp that becoming fully who we are sometimes
involves letting go of who we think we are, and being meant for something isn’t
necessarily a prison. Sometimes, it’s
the only way to be fully ourselves.

How much of the book is realistic?

I try to infuse a book with a
sense of realism. When I describe a
corpse, I look up how a corpse would actually look after so many days in a
certain environment. When I describe
Desdemona after a few days of hard traveling, I describe her in the sort of
dirty, grimy, uncomfortable state that would happen in “real life”. There’s a fine balance. If I make it too realistic, then the reader
won’t be able to escape into my world, but if I don’t make it realistic enough,
then it’s too foreign.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Desdemona’s ability to see
creatures and beings others can’t flows from the supernatural aspects of my
upbringing. The supernatural is very
much alive in the South and any child can tell you stories about “the hag” or
ghosts or the Lizardman. So, the idea of
being aware of another reality is one that came easily. Besides, haven’t you ever thought you saw
something out of the corner of your eye but when you turned to look, there was
nothing there?

What books have most influenced your life most?

Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of
Pern trilogy was a great influence. I
think it was the first real sci-fi I ever read, though I thought it was fantasy
at first. It was the first fiction I’ve
read where the lead woman was this not very attractive, angry, stubborn lady
who did things her way and damn the torpedoes.
That’s been a huge inspiration for me.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Robin McKinley. The way she describes the metaphysical and
the way she builds her worlds are just breathtaking. I learn new things every time I read one of
her works.

What book are you reading now?

I’m finishing up with an
apocalyptic novel called FATHER ELIJAH by Michael O’Brien, because what’s life
without an occasional apocalypse? After
that I plan to read a non-fiction book on the Amish. People who choose to live radically
simplified lives absolutely fascinate me and I may write a novel based on the
Amish system of life.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I’m not a huge horror fan, but
Aaron Dries has definitely caught my interest.
I read a short story by him called “And the Night Growled Back” and was
absolutely terrified. I plan on reading
more of his work.

What are your current projects?

I’m planning a short fiction
series set in Florence, South Carolina revolving around a girl who can read
auras. I’m also planning the next novel
in the Lands of Sun and Stone Series, of which WILLOWS OF FATE is the
first. I also have the sequel to my
debut novel, CLARA, half-written. I’ve
been struggling with that one for a while now but I’m sure I’ll finish it. One day.

What would you like my readers to know?

I want them to know that the
Lands of Sun and Stone Series will go on for another four books at least and
that I hope it takes them to places they never expected to go. Also, if they sign up for updates on my
website, they’ll have the chance to read excerpts and hear news before anyone
else.